personal success

Free Expert Advice

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Free Small Business Software Alternatives

Underwriting Solutions LLC

A couple of years ago I drafted a consulting proposal for a bunch of investors interested in starting a new life insurance company.  The investors didn’t want to spend a lot of money on infrastructure, so I drafted a proposal that emphasized outsourcing and the use of cloud based software services that were either extremely low-cost or in some cases, free.  I wrote:

The creation and implementation of a low-cost distributed collaborative workforce offers the new company an additional distinct competitive advantage in the industry… The new company will not be constrained by legacy systems, outdated processes, or asset quality issues.  We will create an administrative infrastructure built upon low-cost world-class services furnished by companies with a proven track record of success.  This simplified example shows how quickly and inexpensively a customized group of outsourcing partners can be assembled to provide core administrative services for the new company.

Since that time I have wanted to update my list of free software services but now I don’t have to. Stephen Murphy of getbusy media wrote a great little article which can be accessed though the link above.  The other link is just something else I’ve been playing with.

And for the curious, no I did not get the gig two years ago.

 

Thought For Today – 6/11/11

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“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. … No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others”

And Now For Something Completely Different

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Hand-crafted slide guitars eye-catching, but no sales yet | The Post and Courier, Charleston SC – News, Sports, Entertainment

This story from The Post and Courier fascinated me.  For me, this story about Michael Walworth is not just about the unique musical instruments he builds.  This story is about the recession and redemption, creativity and faith, a man just one short step away from fate.

This post is a test of the power of social media.  If you found this story and want to help Micheal sell a guitar, please pass it along.

Thought for Today 2/13/11

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Get Your Goals Back on Track – Heidi Grant Halvorson – The Conversation – Harvard Business Review

I think it’s important to distinguish between specificity and inflexibility. While I can’t think of a single study where specificity hurt performance, I can think of many where a dogged insistence on staying the original course proved harmful. People need to be able to respond to changing conditions. So one qualification might be “clarity is helpful when it does not rule out flexibility and responsiveness.” 

Second, I think a lack of specificity at the organizational level isn’t quite the same thing as a lack at the individual level. Even in the instances you mentioned, the individual employees probably had some specific shorter-term goals they set for themselves. If you are trying out different strategies and exploring possibilities, you still benefit from having a clear idea what “successful” looks like, so you’ll know when a strategy is promising and when to switch to something else.

Great short post on goal setting and motivation.  Be sure to read the comments section of this post for an interesting exchange between the author and a reader.  You’ll note the quote above comes from the comment section and not the post itself.

Train Your Brain

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Underwriters love stuff like this!

How Your Brain Connects the Future to the Past – Jeff Brown and Mark Fenske – Your Health at Work – Harvard Business Review

In the business world, it’s a distinct advantage to have a brain that anticipates future demands and negotiates them well. Accurate predictions typically translate to success. Being able to envision future scenarios helps foster strategic planning and resist immediate rewards in favor of longer-term gains. The proactive brain flexibly recombines details from past experiences that, by analogy with your current surroundings, help you make sense of where you are, anticipate what will come next, and successfully navigate the transition.